CWA statement regarding Ethiopian adoptionsRecently, a foreign media outlet called into question the manner in which Ethiopian children are being adopted. The reporters were critical of humanitarian aid organizations, the Ethiopian government, and adoption agencies. Because it is one of the leading providers of adoption services in Ethiopia, CWA was, of course, referred to in the piece. Unfortunately, much of what was written about the manner in which adoptions are being conducted was based on partial information and, in some instances, even inaccurate information. This obvious misunderstanding of the facts makes it apparent that a better understanding of the adoption process is needed. 1. General Overview of Ethiopian Adoption Process. Of the estimated 5,000,000 orphans in Ethiopia, only 1725 were adopted into the United States in 2008. For a child to qualify for adoption, it must be determined the child is legally adoptable under US and Ethiopian law. This status is conferred on a child who either has no living parent or whose parents are living but unable to meet the child’s basic needs. The determination as to whether a child is adoptable can only be made by a court through a formal, detailed legal process. It is not a determination made by a humanitarian aid organization, an adoption agency, or a child’s community. It can only be made by the Ethiopian judicial system. For children who have one or more parent alive but who is unable to care for them, the parent must first initiate the process by taking them to a children’s home licensed by the government of Ethiopia. The children’s home decides if it is in the best interest of the child to take the child or refuse to take them into their care. If a parent requests adoption, the staff at the children’s home is responsible to counsel the parent on their rights and explain in detail, in the native language, the meaning of adoption. For parents who elect to place a child for adoption, an investigation is done by the children’s home, the police, the Kebele (local elected officials), and the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (MOLSA). The police and the Kebele are responsible for investigating the relinquishing parent’s claims. For children who are abandoned or have no parents, someone can bring the abandoned child to the police or a children’s home licensed by the government of Ethiopia to shelter and care for children. The child stays in the shelter while the police look for the child’s family. There is a minimum two-month waiting period before the Kebele (local officials) may declare the child abandoned. The children’s home refers a child directly to CWA who finds potential adoptive parents. CWA then notifies Christian World Adoption Ethiopia (an Ethiopian NGO), and CWAE gathers all of the child’s information from the children’s home, police, Kebele, MOLSA, and the court. MOWA (Ministry of Women’s Affairs) then reviews all of the paperwork and makes a recommendation of whether or not to allow the adoption. If they do recommend the adoption, MOWA sends a recommendation letter to the federal courts. The federal court then has a hearing where the birth parent is interviewed. If the birth parent does not show up, the hearing is delayed. If the birth parent never shows up to Federal Court, the child has to go through all of the steps as if he were abandoned. At any time before the final federal court determination that the adoption is final, the birth parent can take the child back. After the federal court approves the adoption, they send letters to the Department of Vital Statistics (where a new birth certificate is issued for the child with the child’s new last name of his adoptive parents), to the Department of Immigration, and to the US Embassy. The child is then taken to a physician who is approved by the US Embassy to get a physical. After all of these steps have been completed, the adoptive parents come to Ethiopia to pick up the child. They must meet with the US Embassy to testify that they want to adopt the child, and the Embassy finally issues a visa for the child to come to the United States. 2. CWA cannot guarantee the physical condition of any child. As is the case for other adoption agencies, CWA has no ability to definitively assess the medical condition of any child. CWA can only rely on the assessments of licensed health care providers in a child’s birth country. It is important that potential adoptive parents understand the inherent limitations in assessing the physical condition of a child in countries where the quality of health care is often poor. CWA strives to make potential adoptive parents aware of this unavoidable risk. The inability to guarantee the physical condition of any child is clearly set forth in the agency agreement and other documents potential adoptive parents must read. When CWA is made aware of a medical condition affecting a child, every effort is made to find a family willing to accept the child and help them with their special needs. Fortunately, CWA has many families waiting and eager to accept such children. The unfortunate reality is that, in some instances, medical conditions go undetected. There is simply no way CWA can ethically guarantee the absence of any condition that adoptive parents would have deemed undesirable. 3. Sometimes medical records must be amended. For some of the children of Ethiopia who are available for adoption, there is limited or no history of their ancestry. These children’s ages must be estimated. Additionally, unlike our culture, the Ethiopian culture does not place significance on birth dates. As a result, even parents in Ethiopia may not remember the exact ages or dates of birth of their children. Again, the ages of these children must be estimated. Other updates to medical records may be made throughout the adoption process as new information regarding a child’s medical status is obtained. 4. Video and photographs facilitate adoptions. Like many well-respected emergency relief, humanitarian aid, and adoption agencies, CWA occasionally photographs and videotapes needy children. CWA recognizes there is debate in the adoption community as to this practice and that there are some well-reasoned people who differ with the appropriateness of this practice, some even calling it “unethical.” CWA differs. The ultimate objective of the recordings, of course, is to find families for children who are in need. Not intended as “sales pitch” or a “catalog” of children, these video images provide information to our potential parents that are difficult to capture with words alone. Facts such as the physical characteristics and disposition of a child can be better represented in pictures. Further, it is a practical reality that a child is “humanized” and becomes “real” to potential adoptive families when they can see the child’s face and look into his eyes. Truly, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” 5. CWA’s efforts in Ethiopia. All adoption agencies in Ethiopia must be registered as a “nongovernmental organization” (NGO) with the Ethiopian government and must describe in detail the nature and extent of their activities. CWA is registered in Ethiopia. It is widely known that CWA facilitates adoptions for needy Ethiopian children. What is lesser known is CWA’s passionate commitment to bring help, hope, and healing to desperate children—even those who will never be adopted. In addition to facilitating adoptions, CWA activities include feeding, education, and providing medical care and other programs for children. In fact, estimates are that CWA now provides ongoing support for more families and children in its “community-based care” program than the total number of children it has placed with adoptive families since beginning work in Ethiopia.
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Video ResponseChristian World has posted a video series on YouTube of an interview with CWA attorney Curtis Bostic, detailing CWA's position regarding allegations of unethical adoption practices. Click to watch series »
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Christian World Adoption is a licensed, 501c3 non-profit international adoption agency. CWA is Hague accredited through the Council On Accreditation, which qualifies CWA to place adoptable children from other Hague Treaty adoptive countries. CWA offers free, monthly international adoption webinars and home study services. CWA's friendly and professional staff provide a full range of international adoption services. Contact our international adoption agency today for free adoption information online, which includes current adoption program expense estimates, fees, parent eligibility, travel requirements, and much more. |
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